Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-03-03
NOSE I,sHr on yAnss sssD.
Or. william n. Msis. OF nssstsbsrg. Tssm oftl
Ortsiu Of the Famous l3sllod.

Dr. William n. Nsis. os flssrtsbsrg. Ts''s ofsh
Ortg,s Of the Famous tsllsd.
Some time ago the lNTELLioENcsR
printed Q auvy . 10 the complete version Of
the ballad b Sinning "where II Bird, the
battle raging" Many replies were received.
containing more or icss Of the poem. and
what wss believed to bs the complete versiou
wss published. The following from che
we'll. known historian, DIR. william II. Egle.
Of Harrisburg, throws additional light upon
this interesting subject.
"fhs Aoarnssi Tragedy ei james Disa"
In reply 70 your correspondent ~. II. D."
o! few weeks ago, give herewith the facts
- narrated BY me several years ego have
before me " broad sheet" containing brief
sketch Of James Bird, from the Wikesbasre
his parents and tho ballad. ] have also .
copy Of the original roll OF Captain Samuel
Thomas company, ot which Bird was . Nom.
Der. Tho facts arc ~ set forth In the follow.
Ing
In the spring OF 1873 number OF the oiti.
sens OF Kingston, Lu1ern0 county vOlun.
tesred under command Of Captain Samuel
Thomas for service In the Western depart
msut under Gen. Harrison. Thirty one. b.
sides the oficers, were from Luzerne county;
twenty. seven wore recruited In FAyette
county, and thirty i've In Bedford county.
Among the number was James Bird. He
was tho son Of John Bird, Of Luzsrne county.
Arriving at Erie, II hes been stated, on . Gall
for volunteers for the iieet under Perry, BIRD
" enlisted June 8, on board the fieot," 20
reads Captain Thomas' roll, and certified BY
him on the 5th OF November, 1918, with this
addition Nop at Erie, couHdsd." On
the 10Th Of September previous, during an
engagement, Q canister shot struck him on
the shoulder while STOPPING at his gun. But
not until victory WAS proclaimed did Bird 90
below deck.
Upon his partia, recovery, Bird asked Per.
mission TO go home, which was refused.
Absent from the smiles OF hts sWootheart for
over year, no took French leave" went to
Kingston, aud on returning was arrested for
desortion, tried aud sentenced 70 be shot The
motives given for Birds dcsertiou, are only
such ~ tradition have brought down to Us,
but the probabilities are that II was some
very serious insu bordination, or other overt
act which ssemed to demand tho severe pun.
tshment For years after, II WAS . matter Of
common bolief that Bird wss prematurely
executed q the instigation of an officer who
afterwards committed suicide, and that Com.
modore Perry, OF whom Bird was . special
euse 10 pardon him, but arriving . few hours
fsllow.
Uu .hs OH OF November, 1914. Bird wrote
the letter to his parents alluded to In the bal.
lad, and . very sad letter 1t is-but IL length
prevents us from making extracts therefrom.
He gives no excuse for his "dsaerting from
the United States brig Niagara" I" and We pre-
sumo he felt ct - time that his sentence was
just On the day following, November 10Th,
1874, he was executed.
The suthor OF the ballad was Charles Miner,
editor Of the Cleaner. He was an early rot.
tier from Connociicut was . membor OF Con.
ereee, and In ls+i published Q history Of
Wyoming. He died In 1s65 ut an advanced
asA
We may - we'll state that the information
given In our note to the ballad was obtained
from little volume published at Pittsburg
several years ago, entitled "Southw estern
Pennsylvania, In Ballad and Song" as mat
ter OF course presuning IL WAS correct
The family of John Bird were from New
Jsrsey and some Of the descendeuts remain
in the Wyoming valley. A sister OF James
Bird, MrA Sally Bird Harding, resided at
Tunkhannock, woman OF great energy and
force Of character. Her son, Captain James
bird Harding, WAS recently sheriff OF the
,,unty. The late Captain Brady, OF the state
S.asie, was at Erie NJ the time aud knew
Bird we'll.
captain Samuel Thomas "became q gen.
etAl' and died In Illinois last year, aged
ninety.iocr years. ZtbA Hoyt, who was Q
lieutenant In his company, was father Of Gov.
Hoyt W. Il. +.